SONGS  OF       f  OLD  SC 


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IC-NRLF 


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LIBRARY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


Songs  of  the  Old   South 


Songs  of  the 
Old  South 


Verses  and  Drawings  by 

Howard   Weeden 

Author  of  "  Bandanna  Ballads  "  and  "  Shadows  on  the  Wall 


/'//  south  with  the  sun  and  keep  my  clime  " 

SIDNEY  LANIER 


NEW  YORK 
DOUBLEDAY,   PAGE   &   COMPANY 

1900 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


COPYRIGHT,  1900,  BY 
HOWARD  WEEDEN 


J.  S.  Gushing  &  Co.  -  Berwick  &  Smith 
Norwood  Mass.  U.S.A. 


DEDICATED 

TO 

THE   ONE   MOST   DEAR 


Prefatory  Note 


/"TAHESE    modest    songs    and    pictures,    snatched 
JL       from  the   fading   remnant   of   a   people    now 
nearly  passed  away,   are  only  valuable  because  the 
Past  is  always  precious,  and  only 

"  —  beautiful  for  being  old  and  gone." 


Contents 

When  the  Angels  Call,  3 

Old  Watt  and  the  Rabbits,  6 

Left  Behind,    10 

Silent  Strings,   14 

A  Toast,   1 8 

At  Ease,  22 

The  Song  of  the  Watcher,  26 

Dancing  in  the  Sun,  30 

A  Song,   34 

Hush,  38 

Nocturn,  42 

Mullen,  46 

Old  Mis',   50 

'Way  down  South,   54 


Contents 

Sitting  in  the  Sun,   58 

When  Manners  were  in  Bloom,  62 

Long  Ago,  66 

The  Worst  of  WTar,  70 

Resting,   74 

Hard  Worked,   78 

The  Cotton  Bloom,  82 

At  Last,  86 

The  Arabian  Nights,  90 

Frost  Work,  94 


WHEN    THE    ANGELS    CALL 


When   the  Angels   Call 

"  Mammy,  dear  Mammy,  what  do  you  see 
When  you  lift  such  wistful  eyes  ? " 

"  Faces,  my  chile,  of  dem  dat  are  gone 
Who  smile  at  me  out  of  de  skies." 

"  Mammy,  dear  Mammy,  what  do  you  hear 
When  you  look  so  far  away  ?  " 

44  Voices  biddin'  me  come,  my  chile, 
To  Heaven,  to  rest  an'  stay : 

"  An'  Mammy  would  gladly  go  to  dat  rest 

When  de  angels  beckon  so  — 
But  who  would  pillow  her  baby's  hade 

If  baby's  Mammy  should  go  !  " 


OLD    WATT    AND    THE    RABBITS 


Old  Watt  and  the   Rabbits 

Dat  thing  of  rabbits  havin'  sense 
Like  other  folks,  is  gospel  true : 

I've  heard  it  tole  by  dem  dat  knows 
An'  'sides  of  dat  I've  seen  it  too ; 

One  night  I  come  home  thro'  de  woods 
An'  in  a  clearin'  'mungst  de  oaks, 

I  saw  some  rabbits  havin'  church 
As  pompous  as  de  bes'  of  folks : 

Dey  give  experience,  an'  dey  sung, 
An'  den  dey  'zorted,  an'  den  prayed, 

An'  everything  was  done  de  way 
Dat  other  sinners'  church  is  made : 

An'  while  one  preached  de  others  slept 

As  sensible  as  we  all  do ; 
An'  den,  de  meetin'  havin'  broke, 

Dey  went  like  us,  home  two  an'  two. 

An'  when  dey  'gin  to  pint  an'  talk 
'Bout  one  another  mean,  why  den 

I  says,  says  I,  dem  rabbits  sho' 
Got  sense  de  same  as  men ! 

6 


LEFT    BEHIND 


Left  Behind 

When  my  ole  Master  took  down  sick 

I  nussed  him  till  he  died, 
An'  many  a  pleasant  day  we  had  — 

Me  sittin'  by  his  side. 

We  talked  about  de  ole,  ole  times, 

Part  fun,  an'  part  de  truth, 
But  mostly  Master  mused  on  Her, 

De  Mistis'  of  our  youth  : 

She  was  so  bright  an'  quick,  he  said, 

She  even  died  dat  way  — 
An'  went  before  him  forty  years 

A-smilin'  —  swif  an'  gay : 

"  But  you  slow  cuss,"  he  said  to  me, 

u  You  always  was  behin' ! 
"  Come  on ! "  an'  wid  dat  word  he  went 

An'  lef  his  hand  in  mine ! 


10 


SILENT    STRINGS 


Silent   Strings 

For  all  dat  it  hangs  so  silent  now, 

Dis  banjo  once  was  gay, 
An'  it  wove  de  dreams  dat  I  had  of  her 

Into  chunes  as  sweet  as  May. 

An'  often  I  thought  that  its  quiverin'  strings 

Must  be  of  myse'f  a  part  — 
Else  how  could  dey  tingle  an'  thrill  as  dey  did 

If  her  shadow  but  fell  on  my  heart ! 

But  de  dreams  an'  de  chunes  has  bof  passed  away 

An'  nothin'  is  lef  for  to  tell  her: 
De  banjo  she  likes  bes'  to  listen  to  now 

Is  played  by  a  happier  feller ! 


A   TOAST 


A  Toast 

Whenever  you  want  a  drink  dat  shall  mean 

De  best  in  de  way  of  water, 
Jes'  manage  to  take  it  out  of  a  gode 

An'  den  hit  will  taste  like  hit  oughter. 

No  matter  de  place,  hit  will  put  you  at  home 

As  if  you  an'  godes  was  kin, 
An'  you  know  you  can't  feel  as  friendly  as  dat 

Wid  a  citified  dipper  of  tin ! 

You  can  drink  to  de  fields,  you  can  drink  to 
de  crops  — 

You  can  drink  to  your  work  an'  your  load  — 
You  can  drink  to  everything  simple  an'  true, 

When  you  drinks  fum  a  country  gode  ! 


18 


AT    EASE 


At  Ease 

I  tried  to  live  in  town,  but  oh  ! 
De  town  was  swif '  an'  I  was  slow, 
So  back  I  came  to  de  cotton  rows 
An'  one  ole  mule  I'm  sure  I  knows. 

He  don't  expect  no  more  of  me, 
Thank  God,  den  I  expects  of  he ; 
An'  I  don't  'spect  no  more  of  he 
Den  likewise  he  expects  of  me. 

So  I  don't  feel  ashamed  no  mo' 
Of  bein'  black  an'  mean  an'  slow, 
Because  you  see  dis  ole  mule  Jeff 
Knows  'zactly  how  it  is  his  sef ' ! 


22 


THE    SONG    OF    THE   WATCHER 


The  Song  of  the  Watcher 


A  small  moon  hangs  in  de  mornin'  sky, 
A  chile  is  come  wid  de  dawnin' : 

De  soul  of  de  Mother  takes  its  flight 
Early  in  de  mornin': 

De  baby  hastens  into  de  worl' 

Eager  to  meet  de  dawnin' ; 
But  de  soul  dat  knows  —  it  speeds  to  its  Rest 

Early  in  de  mornin' ! 


DANCING    IN    THE   SUN 


Dancing  in  the  Sun 

A  small  brown  ragged  shadowy  boy, 

A  silhouette  of  fun, 
And  a  shadow  as  ragged  and  slim  as  himself 

A-dancing  in  the  sun  ; 

It  is  hard  to  tell  the  shadows  apart 

So  into  each  other  they  run, 
As  dark  and  elusive  they  melt  and  they  whirl1 

And  mix  —  as  they  dance  in  the  sun. 

No  matter  what  falls  to  the  rest  of  the  world 
No  matter  what's  done  or  undone  - 

So  the  day  be  but  idle  and  long  enough 
For  dancing  in  the  sun ! 


A    SONG 


A  Song 

River,  roll  away  from  me 

An'  steal  as  you  pass  de  cane 

A  whisperin'  sigh  —  to  lose  it  again 

When  you  reach  de  shinin'  sea. 

River,  roll  away  from  me 
Through  banks  of  jessamine  sweet, 
An'  bear  de  odorous  breaf  till  you  meet 
An'  give  it  away  to  de  sea. 

Sighs  an'  sweets  you  may  give  to  de  sea ; 
I  only  ask  dat  de  notes 
Of  dis  song  of  Love  dat  softly  floats 
You  will  bear  to  Her  —  from  me! 


34 


HUSH 


Hush 

In  the  place  where  they  make  all  the  drowsy 
things 

Like  Sleep,  and  Dreams,  and  the  rest, 
It  is  said  that  the  drowsiest  thing  that  is  made 

Is  a  Mammy's  deep  dark  breast. 

It  is  deep  so  that  Life  shall  have  one  hiding-place 
Where  its  fret  and  its  noises  may  cease ; 

And  dark  that  the  light  of  the  garish  day 
May  have  its  one  shadow  of  peace. 

And  the  angels  who  come  down  to  watch  over 

sleep 

Look  first  for  these  sheltering  nests, 
And  give  the  most  beautiful  dreams  that  they 

bring 
To  the  babes  on  the  darkest  breasts. 


NOCTURN 


Nocturn 

When  de  weary  day  in  de  fields  is  done, 
An'  you  plods  todes  home  at  night, 

De  light  dat  you  sees  in  your  cabin-door 
Is  sweet  as  a  heabenly  sight, 

An'  it  glows    through    de    glimmerin'    purple 
dusk 

Wid  a  light  dat  is  tender  an'  true. 
When  you  know  dat  it's  busy  cookin''  for  you 

A  handsome  'possum-stew ! 


MULLEN 


Mullen 

You  may  say  all  you  will  of  what  doctors  kin  do 
Wid  deir  'scriptions  an'  dat  sort  of  talk, 

But  if  you  is  sick  an'  wants  to  be  cured, 
Jis'  git  you  a  good  mullen  stalk! 

De  mullen  don't  need  fer  to  feel  of  your  pulse, 
Nor  to  ask  about  how  do  you  do : 

De  tea  when  you  Ve  swallowed  hit  knows  where 

to  go 
'Dout  askin'  no  questions  of  you. 

Of  course  dere  are  things  even  mullen  can't  do 

Like  makin'  a  fool-nigger  smart, 
An'  dey  say  dat  de  strongest  dose  ever  took, 

Never  cured  a  achin'  heart. 

But   for   natchel,    old-fashioned,    an'    everyday 
pains 

Like  sensible  folks  do  have, 
Jis'  take  a  good  swallow  of  she-mullen  tea 

An'  tech  up  wid  she-mullen  salve  ! 


46 


OLD    MIS' 


Old  Mis' 

You  never  know^d  Ole  Mis',  you  say  ? 

Well,  dat's  a  pity,  shore ; 
De  sort  of  Quality  she  was 

Is  gone  —  to  come  no  more. 

Her  gracious  word  was  like  a  Queen's, 

So  kine  an'  yet  so  strong ; 
We  all  kep'  time  to  her  sof  speech 

Like  marchin'  to  a  song. 

A  nigger  didn't  dare  to  die 

Nor  marry  on  our  place 
Widout  she  give  her  blessin'  an* 

Her  'pinion  on  de  case  ; 

She  knowed  more  den  de  doctors,  'case 

God  tole  her  what  to  give ; 
She  knowed  more  den  de  preachers,  'case 

God  tole  her  how  to  live. 

Dat  ole  plantation  hit  was  run 
On  'rangements  'bout  like  dis : 

De  place  hit  b'longed  to  Master,  but 
Ole  Master  b'longed  to  Mis' ! 


5° 


'WAY    DOWN    SOUTH 


'Way   Down   South 

An  azure  sky  —  a  warm  brown  face  — 
Soft  black  eyes  and  a  dazzling  mouth  — 

A  red  bandanna,  touched  with  gold  — 
And  this  is  the  color  —  'way  down  South. 

A  bird  that  plays  on  a  mocking  flute  — 
A  melting  drawl  from  a  smiling  mouth  - 

A  tinkling  banjo  hid  in  the  shade  — 

And  this  is  the  music,  'way  down  South. 


54 


SITTING    IN    THE    SUN 


Sitting  in  the  Sun 

Long  time  I  wandered  far  from  home, 
But  now  my  travelling's  done  — 

I'm  'way  down  South  once  more  —  once  more 
An'  sittin'  in  de  sun. 

It  warms  my  cold  old  blood  again 

An'  brings  back  youth  an'  fun, 
An'  I  jes'  dozes  —  sleeps  —  an'  dreams 

A-sittin'  in  de  sun. 

De  warm  wind  brings  de  scents  I  knew 

When  life  was  jes'  begun, 
An'  faces  dat  I  early  loved 

Smile  at  me  in  de  sun. 

An'  some  day  when  de  sleep  is  sound, 

My  soul  will  slip  an'  run 
From  dis  ole  Self  dat  sits  an'  smiles 

So  quiet  in  de  sun ! 


WHEN  MANNERS  WERE  IN  BLOOM 


When   Manners  were  in   Bloom 

You  say  you  would  paint  my  manners  too 
Along  wid  my  head,  —  if  you  could  ; 

Well,  you  should  have  lived  in  olden  times 
When  manners  was  really  good ! 

De  days  was  sweet  an'  warm  an'  long, 

Wid  plenty  of  time  to  be  kine, 
An'  every  one  smiled  an'  bowed  an'  scraped, 

An'  every  one  did  it  fine ! 

I  seem  to  smell  de  locust  flower 

Heavy  after  rain  — 
An'  de  ghostly  scent  of  mimosa  blooms 

Comes  blowin'  back  again ; 

An'  I  feels  de  fine  ole  mannerly  times 

Mix  wid  de  scents  till  I  seem 
To  see  ole  Master  as  natchel  as  life  — 

Bow  in  a  kin'  of  dream  : 

His  manners  was  certainly  quality  ways, 

De  finest  dat  ever  I  see ; 
Dough  folks  used  to  laugh  an'  say  dat  he  took 

Dem  gilt-edged  ways  from  me ! 

62 


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LONG   AGO 


Long  Ago 

Brightes'  heavens  used  to  smile 

Blue  an'  low, 
Softes'  breezes  used  to  sigh, 

Long  Ago ! 

Reddest  roses  used  to  bend, 

Blush,  an'  blow, 
Faires'  mornings  used  to  dawn, 

Long  Ago ! 

Sweetes'  smile  of  all  the  smiles 

I  used  to  know, 
Made  de  worl'  like  dat  for  me 

Long  Ago  ! 


66 


THE    WORST    OF    WAR 


The  Worst   of  War 

When  my  young  master  went  to  war 

He  carried  me  wid  him  too, 
An'  dough  I  never  fired  a  shot 

Dere  was  plenty  else  to  do. 

He  wore  de  sword  an'  buttons  an'  spurs, 
An'  none  was  so  brave  as  he; 

But  never  so  hard  a  thing  did  he  do 
As  the  thing  he  lef '  for  me. 

Where  a  storm  of  leaden  hail  fell  thick 

He  got  a  ball  in  his  heart 
An'  died  wid  a  happy  smile  on  his  face  — 

But  mine  was  de  harder  part : 

I  led  his  horse  back  home  where  dey  sat 

Expectin'  him — an'  I  saw 
Mistis'  an'  Master's  hearts  when  dey  broke 

An'  dat  was  de  worst  of  war ! 


RESTING 


Resting 

No  —  slavery  wasn't  bad  enough 
To  make  my  memory  fret, 

'Twas  only  dat  I  was  so  drove 
I  ain't  got  rested  yet. 

So  when  I  hears  you  talk  of  heaben 
An'  wings  —  an'  flyin'  'round  - 

I  sighs  an'  says,  "  If  hit  suits  God, 
I'll  take  heaben  sittin'  down  !  " 


74 


,^jU 

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HARD    WORKED 


Hard  Worked 

"  Old  man  with  the  sweet,  black,  patient  face, 

Pray  tell  me  about  your  life ; 
It  has  had  its  many  griefs,  I'm  sure, 

And  its  noble  work  and  strife." 

"  Yes,  sir,  dat's  right :  in  slavery  times 

My  business  used  to  be 
To  hunt  ole  Master's  specks,  an'  dat 

Did  shorely  pester  me  ; 

"  Since  Freedom  come  I've  had  a  load 

Of  politics  to  tote ; 
For  if  you  does  it  right,  it  takes 

All  of  your  strenk  to  vote  !  " 


THE    COTTON    BLOOM 


The  Cotton  Bloom 

The  rose  has  a  thousand  lovers  because 
Of  her  delicate  grace  and  perfume. 

But  lovers  for  studier  reasons  give 
Their  hearts  to  the  cotton  bloom : 

It  grows  in  a  dazzling  ample  land 
Of  measureless  breadth  and  room  — 

And  the  wealth  of  a  splendid  tropical  sun 
Dowers  this  cotton  bloom. 

And  Capital  keeps  his  eyes  on  the  field 
While  he  hears  the  hum  of  the  loom, 

And  his  anxious  visage  glows  and  pales 
At  the  nod  of  the  cotton  bloom ! 


AT    LAST 


At  Last 

De  road  is  grown  so  rough  an'  dark 
I  tries  no  more  to  roam  — 

I'm  standin'  tired  by  de  way 
Per  God  to  lead  me  Home. 

De  friends  I  knew  are  gone,  an'  none 

Are  lef  to  understan', 
But  God,  who  loves  an'  understand, 

He  holds  me  by  de  han'. 

A  lonely  Peace  is  come  at  las'  — 

An'  now  I  waitin'  see 
De  hinderin'  things  all  fall  away 

An'  leave  jes'  God  an'  me ! 


86 


THE   ARABIAN   NIGHTS 


The  Arabian  Nights 

When  life  was  young  an  idle  rhyme 

Could  charm  the  happy  time, 
And  Mammy  gave  us,  with  a  kiss, 

A  song  that  went  like  this : 
"  De  Squirrel  has  a  bushy  tail, 

De  'Possum's  tail  am  bare, 
De  Raccoon's  tail  am  ringed  all  'round, 

De  old  Hare's  tail  aint  dere." 

Our  Mammy  was  the  wit  and  sage 

Of  all  that  golden  age : 
And  when  she  sung  a  song  like  this 

She  steeped  the  night  in  bliss : 
"  De  Squirrel  has  a  bushy  tail, 

De  'Possum's  tail  am  bare, 
De  Raccoon's  tail  am  ringed  all  'round, 

De  ole  Hare's  tail  aint  dere  !  "  * 

*  The  old  friend,  upon  whose  memory  the  author  draws  for 
much  that  is  in  this  book,  listens  backward  seventy  years,  and 
hears  this  song. 


90 


FROST    WORK 


Frost  Work 

When  plenty  ripe  persimmons  make 

A  'Possum  hunt  jis'  right, 
An'  frost  has  teched  your  spirits  till 

Dey's  feelin'  kind  o'  light, 
'Tis  time  to  take  your  banjo  down 

Fum  off  the  cabin  wall 
An'  weave  a  little  song  in  praise 

Of  'Possum-time  an'  fall ! 

When  evenin'  fires  softly  throw 

Your  tremblin'  shadow  tall 
To  meet  an'  kiss  Her  shadow  as 

It  beckons  on  de  wall  — 
'Tis  time  to  take  your  banjo  down 

An'  make  de  music  stir 
Wid  weavin'  happy  songs  in  praise 

Of  'Possum-time  an'  Her! 


94 


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Weeden,  H.  E44 

Songs  of  the          S6 
old  South, 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
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